


Cold Snap

by penlex



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fae & Fairies, Flash Fic, Gen, Jealousy, Murder, POV Third Person Limited, Political Parties, Present Tense, Princes & Princesses, Royalty, Sisters, Spring, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 02:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13988154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penlex/pseuds/penlex
Summary: Winter refuses to relinquish her crown to Spring.





	Cold Snap

**Author's Note:**

> for the prompt "green"
> 
> Rated T for murder.

Dusk has arrived on the night before the vernal equinox and the crowning ball for the Spring Princess is in full swing. There’s an overflowing of green and white and pink and yellow everything everywhere. The Winter Princess doesn’t mind the green or the white really - those colors are her own as well - but the others are grating. Although perhaps it’s less the shape of the light in her eyes and more an association.

Every year she comes here to celebrate the passing of the crown to the next season, as all four of them do for all three of the others. Up until now the Winter Princess has regarded her sisters with every ounce of respect that they treat each other with, but she has never had her courtesy reciprocated the way she deserves.

The Spring Princess in particular hides her sneer behind the soft scent of blooming flowers and lush green grass, but the Winter Princess knows her youngest sister thinks herself the superior season - and she certainly gets all the worship and adulation from the court that would prove it. If it were true. If it weren’t for that arrogance and favoritism it wouldn’t feel like such a slight for the Winter Princess to have to pass along the crown to her.

It sits on her head still now, a heavy presence that she will soon feel the lack of acutely. It’s in the shape of a small wreath of frosted blue-green needles and round red berries, poisonous but sweet to the taste. It will change when it is settled on the next season - to a delicate ring of tulips, to a tangled veil of verdant ivy, to sturdy acorns and apples, and back again.

The Winter Princess circles her finger, tipped with a long nail stained emerald for the occasion, around the rim of her flute of mint champagne and watches her sister collect an endless stream of tribute with a steady eye, waiting. The sun sinks lower, the time for the crowning of the new season approaching. It can’t be missed.

The Spring Princess takes a cheerful gulp of her own champagne, bubbly and pink with dark pulp in the bottom. The sun finally disappears from the horizon. It’s time.

The Spring Princess chokes quietly, a dainty hand flying up to her throat. Her face grows pale, her lips turning a sickly shade of green, like old dying moss. She meets her sister’s eyes from across the room, but she hasn’t enough time to gasp at the betrayal before she falls to the floor.

The mild temperature of the room, which has slowly been rising with the Spring Princess’s power, drops with her. The sheer green curtains along the walls grow stiff with a sudden frost.

Spring will have to come eventually, of course.

But for now, Winter will continue to rule in her stead.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also read, comment, and share this FOR FREE on my [patreon](https://www.patreon.com/jflex). I'd very much appreciate the attention!


End file.
